The Battle Of Megiddo The story of Tuthmosis III Video Documentary

In the second year of his reign, the young Thutmose found himself faced with a coalition of the princes from Kadesh and Megiddo, who had mobilized a large army. Undaunted, Thutmose immediately set out with his army and this first campaign revealed Thutmose to be the military genius of his time.

Thutmose conducted sixteen campaigns in Palestine, Syria and Nubia and his treatment of the conquered was always humane. He established a sort of “Pax Egyptica” over his empire. Syria and Palestine were obliged to keep the peace and the region as a whole experienced an unprecedented degree of prosperity.

Amunemhab one of Thutmose’s Generals

Amunemhab was a vigorous fighting man who saved the king’s life by cutting off a charging elephant’s trunk. Interestingly there are two records of this event; the official account and Amunemhab’s written on the wall of his tomb.

Thutmose’s official account from the Napata Stela
“Ra made me do something very brave at the sea of Niy. He made me run across a troop of 120 elephants and My Majesty fought them. Never had the like been done by a king since the god who first received the white crown of Upper Egypt. I say this without boasting and without lie therein“.

Amunemhab’s account of the same incident
“I beheld an excellent deed which the Lord of the Two Lands did in Niy. He hunted 120 elephants, for their tusks. The largest among them attempted to fight face to face with his majesty. As for me, I stood in the water between two rocks and cut off his hand while he was alive in front of his majesty. Then my lord rewarded me with gold and three changes of clothing”